Introduction to this special section: Near-surface geophysics

Abstract

The last time TLE published a near-surface geophysics special section was in November 1997. Since then, the level of technological improvement has gained momentum and new applications. This is clearly demonstrated by the papers submitted to this special section. Interestingly, nearly half of them came from first-time TLE authors. In addition, the source distribution was broad based including some international papers—a positive sign that TLE has succeeded as a global information vehicle by which geophysicists of various backgrounds share ideas, concepts, and experiences. It is apparent, unfortunately, that near-surface geophysicists rarely interact and associate with petroleum geophysicists. This is likely due to a lack of understandinG—i.e., many geophysicists perceive these pursuits as two distinct disciplines because geophysical methods are conducted at different boundary conditions and for different target types. This impression is wrong; no matter what the target size and its corresponding depth, the “physics” is the same. Consider ground-penetrating radar (GPR), a technique which experienced explosive growth in development and application over the last decade. The source frequency usually ranges from 150 to 900 MHz, and GPR data are recorded in the nanosecond range—six orders of magnitude above typical seismic frequencies employed in petroleum …